Betting the farm

Creamline holds off Choco Mucho in a late game, 25-17

Already out of the Premier Volleyball League semifinal contention, Farm Fresh is on the hunt for a better performance under a new system that it has been slowly getting the hang of throughout the All-Filipino Conference.

“We learned more about our ability to adjust and the need to embrace the roles given to us even in a short period of time,” Caitlin Viray said in Filipino after the Foxies buried Strong Group in a deeper hole with a 25-10, 25-15, 25-22 rout on Thursday.

Instituted by the Japanese addition to its coaching staff this conference, the new system thrust Farm Fresh into a roller-coaster ride.

To open its campaign, Farm Fresh showed its potential after taking a set over defending champion Creamline, which is locked in a blockbuster Finals rematch with Choco Mucho as of press time. Then there was the biggest highlight for the Foxies, who had been very active in its recruitment during the offseason: A straight-sets upset of Chery Tiggo.

But then things went downhill from there as Farm Fresh absorbed five consecutive defeats.

“The team is in the process of maturing since we have a new system but the good thing is that we are slowly adapting to that new style,” Farm Fresh ace Trisha Tubu said.

“We know that adapting this will help the team’s rise in the next conferences,” she added after helping the Foxies to their third win in 10 games—the most number of victories by the franchise since it joined the league in the Invitational Conference last year.

Viray has been one of the key additions for Farm Fresh, which reeled the former University of Santo Tomas standout out of the Flying Titans.

The young squad has been experimenting with its rotations all conference long where Viray, who added 11 points despite playing off the bench in just two sets in their win over the Athletics, has been seeing longer minutes despite also being an opposite spiker like Tubu.

“We have agreed that whoever is called between us, we should be always ready and have each other’s back,” Viray said. “We don’t have a problem sharing the playing time, what’s important is that we are ready when coach calls either of us.

“I still have a lot to work on since I still have a lot of lapses. But the good thing about the team is we are very eager and open to learn,” she added.

Farm Fresh, though, will have a tough upcoming matchup facing Viray’s former team to cap the ongoing conference.

“Thankful to get the win after our consecutive losses these past few games. This will be a good motivation for our last game against Choco Mucho,” Tubu said.

“Everyone is looking forward to facing Choco Mucho,” Viray added. “I guess we just continue to work in training to give them a good fight.”